Yankees’ Mariano Rivera Gets Some Love From New York’s Rabbis

Mensch alert: Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera may be a Pentecostal Christian, but his philanthropic work in his native Panama got him named ‘Man of the Year’ by the New York Board of Rabbis. According to the New York Post, Rivera will receive a guided, 10-day tour of Israel “after the ‘two holy seasons’ — baseball season and the Jewish High Holidays.”

Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, attended Rivera’s pre-Superbowl party—a charity auction for his New Rochelle church—and revealed he would lead the Yankee’s tour of the Holy Land himself. The rabbi probably didn’t eat much at the event though: “Said a spy, ‘Mariano ate seared tuna with salad, then crab cakes and lobster tortilla.'”